The State and civil society in Africa: A North African perspective

Abstract

The concept of civil society is one of the most controversial in cultural and political circles in both of the Arab and
African Worlds. Yet, it did not receive the appropriate attention of both its advocates and its detractors, who consider
it to be the product of an alien civilization. Furthermore, the concept of civil Society was misused for political
purposes, as, for example, some North African States reverted to it in order to exclude the formations of political
Islam. On the other hand, Arab movements of opposition and political dissent, resort to the same concept to
entrench themselves against state oppression and authoritarianism. Thus this study is based on the premise that the
existence of a real Civil Society, independent of both State and Family, and based on the concepts of civilization and
tolerance, will lead to full integration on all national, regional and continental levels.